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Celebrating success!
Sep. 9th, 2000 10:36 amIf yesterday's post seemed to end rather abruptly, it was because I got a call just a few minutes before posting it, asking me to take some members of the Russian delegation to a get-together being arranged for the wife of Boris Morukov. (Morukov is one of the two Russian cosmonauts that are part of the crew of STS-106, which launched yesterday for an 11-day mission to prepare the International Space Station for the first long-duration crew.)
Upon leaving the hotel, we took a rather wide detour to purchase several bouquets of flowers, which is something of a traditional gesture. When we arrived at Mrs. Morukov's condo, there were a number of people there, and almost every available horizontal surface was devoted to the presentation of food of various kinds, as well as liquid refreshment.
Once the company was all assembled, everyone took turns proposing toasts of various kinds. They spoke of friendship, of both the personal and professional kind. They toasted dedication, for - among other facts - STS-106 is Boris Morukov's first flight into space, and he has worked toward this goal for many, many years (he's almost, if not already, celebrated his 50th birthday, which is old for an astronaut or cosmonaut). And most, if not all, of the people of the room helped him, trained him, and supported him along the way. And his wife, too, has been there with him every step of the way, starting from the time they were in college together (she is, if I am not mistaken, a medical doctor). The assembled company raised their glasses to what has been accomplished in the past, to what will be accomplished in the future, to teamwork, to cooperation, and to the bond between generations of people facing the challenge of space. Each toast was punctuated by a call for, and the expression of, three very military cheers, "Oo-RAH! Oo-RAH! Oo-RAH!"
Finally, Mrs. Morukov took her place in the center of a circle of friends and colleagues (and, yes, even strangers such as myself) and thanked us all for working so hard to help her and her husband fulfill their common dream. She then carefully went around the room and clinked her glass with everyone present, one by one. I noticed she paused slightly each time to make very direct and clear eye contact, as if to underscore her expression of appreciation.
The formalities over, folks dispersed into small groups to chat and help themselves to the appetizers laid out on the tables. I went out on the balcony to find a group of people chatting and smoking cigarettes. Suddenly, Valeri Poliakov, a medical doctor and former cosmonaut who once held the record for the longest time in space, noticed a rather bright set of lights belonging to an airliner flying out over the Atlantic. Ever the practical joker, he opened the patio door into the living room and cried, "Hey, come quick! The Shuttle is flying by right now!" So convincing was his tone that several people fell for the bait and came out on the balcony only to see an airplane's navigation lights and to hear some good-natured laughter from those who had seen Poliakov's ploy.
The party broke up around 9 pm and we came back to the hotel for a good night's sleep. I rose this morning at 7 and went for a walk on the beach before turning to the task of writing this post and packing my stuff. We head out at 11 am. If all goes well, I'll be back in Houston by dinnertime.
Cheers...
Upon leaving the hotel, we took a rather wide detour to purchase several bouquets of flowers, which is something of a traditional gesture. When we arrived at Mrs. Morukov's condo, there were a number of people there, and almost every available horizontal surface was devoted to the presentation of food of various kinds, as well as liquid refreshment.
Once the company was all assembled, everyone took turns proposing toasts of various kinds. They spoke of friendship, of both the personal and professional kind. They toasted dedication, for - among other facts - STS-106 is Boris Morukov's first flight into space, and he has worked toward this goal for many, many years (he's almost, if not already, celebrated his 50th birthday, which is old for an astronaut or cosmonaut). And most, if not all, of the people of the room helped him, trained him, and supported him along the way. And his wife, too, has been there with him every step of the way, starting from the time they were in college together (she is, if I am not mistaken, a medical doctor). The assembled company raised their glasses to what has been accomplished in the past, to what will be accomplished in the future, to teamwork, to cooperation, and to the bond between generations of people facing the challenge of space. Each toast was punctuated by a call for, and the expression of, three very military cheers, "Oo-RAH! Oo-RAH! Oo-RAH!"
Finally, Mrs. Morukov took her place in the center of a circle of friends and colleagues (and, yes, even strangers such as myself) and thanked us all for working so hard to help her and her husband fulfill their common dream. She then carefully went around the room and clinked her glass with everyone present, one by one. I noticed she paused slightly each time to make very direct and clear eye contact, as if to underscore her expression of appreciation.
The formalities over, folks dispersed into small groups to chat and help themselves to the appetizers laid out on the tables. I went out on the balcony to find a group of people chatting and smoking cigarettes. Suddenly, Valeri Poliakov, a medical doctor and former cosmonaut who once held the record for the longest time in space, noticed a rather bright set of lights belonging to an airliner flying out over the Atlantic. Ever the practical joker, he opened the patio door into the living room and cried, "Hey, come quick! The Shuttle is flying by right now!" So convincing was his tone that several people fell for the bait and came out on the balcony only to see an airplane's navigation lights and to hear some good-natured laughter from those who had seen Poliakov's ploy.
The party broke up around 9 pm and we came back to the hotel for a good night's sleep. I rose this morning at 7 and went for a walk on the beach before turning to the task of writing this post and packing my stuff. We head out at 11 am. If all goes well, I'll be back in Houston by dinnertime.
Cheers...
